Political, Social and Religious
The political setting of the French Rococo style mostly revolved around Louis XIV’s outrageous desire to be glorified as a god. In 1661 he took the place of Jules Cardinal Mazarin, and was overtly involved with not only government, but also social and artistic developments in France—an absolute rule (Ireland, 2009). The term Rococo is directly associated with the French political system of absolute monarchy (Hinchman, 2009). The book, History of Interior Design, described court life as complex and extremely detailed in its dictatorship. In the early 1660s, Louis XIV’s attention to political issues subsided while he sought out redesigning his palace at Versailles (Davis, 1973). After Louis XIV’s death in 1715, Louis the XV would begin his reign in 1723. For a short period of time the country was ruled by a regent, which is when the regency period took place. Following the Regency period, was Rococo. During this time, Political reform was just as sought after by its advocates, as artistic reform (Hinchman, 2009) While Rococo embodied French design in the middle 1700s, England and America were lightly influenced, as they were developing styles of their own (Miller, 2005).
There was a clear abandonment of traditional thinking during the eighteenth century. It was the Age of Enlightenment or what some called the Age of Reason. Society was turning toward science and logic for the answers to life’s big questions rather than God and faith (2012). The church was slowly losing power while human success began to rely on reason rather than religion. Much focus began to be placed on redesigning the old ways of thinking and doing into something they had never been before—the Counter Reformation was born. The book, The Renaissance and Baroque, describes the Counter Reformation as “…a new secular spirit, founded on rationalism and scientific thinking…” (1986) In the late 1500s, Baroque design hit its peak aiding in the Counter Reformation. Baroque influenced followers of the Catholic Church by appealing to their emotions which made the Catholic Church financially stable again. In a way it resembled the influence of Gothic architecture in prior years. As the style that eventually accompanied the Baroque movement, Rococo developed during the political and social time of France that some would call “complicated, emotional and theatrical.” (Davis, 1973)
Naturally, Rococo was scandalous because it was not orderly, nor was it politically correct. It was expensive, over-the-top décor, not to mention, asymmetrical with themes representing all sorts of secularism—love, ordinary life, exoticism and merriment. These themes would never be found in traditional designed ordained by the church (2012). Rococo: a Style of Fantasy describes Rococo society: “...a society which demanded constant novelty, wit and elegance- precisely the qualities of Rococo style.” (Davis, 1973) The style grew because the economy was growing as new marketing strategies were being invented. An interest in art and design was growing as the Louvre Museum made its grand opening. Also more material were being made available that had been scarce up until that point (Hinchman, 2009). The Rococo style spurred on more social change as more craftsmen and designers were needed for the production of Rococo furniture and goods.
Spatial layouts and Room Divisions
Unlike the baroque style, during French rococo rooms were a lot smaller and more “human like” in scale. Most small rooms were designed for smaller, more intimate gatherings with only a few people in the room. Some large rooms did remain for gatherings of many people. Oval rooms were not uncommon. Rooms were designed to enhance feminine beauty and needed to be comfortable and conventional. It wasn’t uncommon for rooms to have hideaways. For example, in the dining room the table could be lowered discretely, prepared for the next course of the meal and then lifted back up to the dining room. Also, you could find cabinet particuliers which are hidden rooms accessed through secret panels. There was a great emphasis on privacy during this time. There were even secret hideaways in the gardens (Ireland, 2009). In 1722 Louis XV came back to Versailles and wanted more buildings to be created like hotels with small intimate rooms on the grounds of the palace (Crochet, 2009).
Finishes
Popular flooring during this time included wood parquet and marquetry. On outside floors marble squares were used. Carpets covered portions of rooms and were usually from the Middle East.
Windows were usually floor to ceiling and sometimes would go on the ceiling. Windows have interior shutters that match the paneling. After 1720 valances were used (Hardwood, 2012).
Paneling was important and was intricately carved out of wood. Designs were always centered in the middle of the top or bottom of the panel. They were never randomly placed. The sides of panels were straight and the tops and bottoms were curved. Small moldings outlined the panels and were also used on doors, as well as furnishings. Pictures were sometimes placed in these panels. Pictures were either carved ornament or painted. Panels were also covered in textiles or tiles for decoration. Paneling could even portray a real door to make the appearance of the room totally symmetrical. Sometimes fabrics were even used on the walls (Hardwood, 2012)
The most popular wallpaper during the French Rococo was called domino. It was Chinese influenced wallpaper that was hand painted. All the motifs were influenced by oriental designs and it was cheaper than European wallpaper (Ireland, 2009).
Ceilings included coved ceilings with curving corners. Some ceilings were plain and had a plaster rosette located centrally. The most common ceiling treatment is called rocaille (Hardwood, 2012).
Motifs and moldings
Some popular motifs included: pastoral scenes, musical instruments, floral bouquets, garlands, and hunting scenes. Towards the end of the French rococo motifs associated with love were popular, like cupids and hearts (Ireland, 2009).
Shell motifs were popular during the Rococo period but were used as early as the renaissance. It represents love and the god Venus. These shell motifs were used on everything from tables to mirrors to chairs and represented movement. Ormolu mounts were also popular during Rococo. It was made of cast bronze and had a fire-gilt finish. These decorative mounts originally were designed to protect furniture. Many mythological creatures were common in rococo motifs. They were placed on all types of furniture (Miller, 2005).
Furniture and Accessories
Rococo is an Italian word, the French word rocaille, means rockwork. French rococo furniture embodied nature through a variety of motifs including flowers, arabesques, C- and S-shaped scrolls, scallop shells, foliage, singeries, and chinoiserie (Miller, 2005). The overall design was often asymmetrical with a sense of fluidity and lightness through natural motifs and pastel colors (Crochet, 2009). The furniture would create a unified whole with the rest of the interior through repetition of these designs. In contrast to the heavy Baroque styles of Louis XIV, Rococo style furniture was much smaller, lighter, and incorporated more curves. Furniture moved away from the walls and began to be grouped in conversation areas during the Rococo period. Nobility of this era craved comfort in their furniture to make long conversations more pleasant (Miller, 2005). Furniture was no longer moved from room to room and many pieces were made to match "en suite." These pieces were coordinated together based on use, style, color, etc (Hinchman, 2009).
Chairs lost the tall highly detailed Baroque backs and stretchers becoming shorter and leaner with exposed wood frames and cabriole legs. Console tables stayed similar to the Baroque style; however, commodes began to take on a distinct bombe shape (Miller, 2005). Walnut, oak, and elm were the main woods used in furniture construction. Most furniture pieces were decorated with marquetry, carving, and veneer work. These decorations matched the light feminine styles seen in the moldings, boiseries, and other aspects of the interiors (Crochet, 2009).
The French Rococo period under Louis XV's reign saw the introduction of many unique furniture pieces. One of the most important pieces was the fauteuil an open-arm chair with cabriole legs, a curved often cartouche shaped back, manchettes, and pied de biche feet. The curves on this type of chair give it a very elegant and refined look. A bergère was a more informal closed-arm chair with a separate upholstered seat cushion. A canapé was a settée for two people or could be more like a sofa with up to eight legs. Similarly a confidant was a large sofa-like seating unit with bergères attached to each end. Confidants were often placed in niches or pushed against a wall. Many scholars believe that the various furniture pieces played a large role in French society and behavior. For example, as relationships became more intimate people may sit on the confidant, yet still be separated by the bergere end pieces. The voyeuse chair also allowed men and women to get closer to one another. The voyeuse was designed with the upper back serving as a padded armrest. These chairs were often used during performances or card games allowing the women to sit and the men to stand behind leaning on the armrest while watching the activity. One scholar, Hellman, stated that "furniture structured and deliminated the behavior and appearance of individuals according to culturally specific codes of social conduct" (Hinchman, 2009).
The French had countless words to describe the different pieces of Rococo furniture. For example the French nobility could recline on a meridienne, chaise longue, settée, canapé, duchesse, or a duchesse brisée. A duchesse brisée was composed of two or three sections often a bergere, an ottoman, and a smaller bergere that were sometimes attached or that could be placed in different configurations. These pieces allowed the French nobility to be more relaxed in their private rooms. The Rococo period also had many case pieces. The bureau plat is a type of table desk often with one drawer. It often has ormolu mounts and sabots. A bureau à cylinder, a writing desk with a roll-top front, was a very complex piece to make in this time period. Console tables were attached to walls and often had a mirror hanging above to make the table appear to be full-size. Bombe shaped commodes were the most common storage pieces. The tops were often used to showcase objects with three to four drawers for storage underneath (Hinchman, 2009). The word commode comes from the French word, commodité, meaning greater convenience. The line separating the drawers was ignored and the entire front facade was designed as one cohesive piece often with chinosiere or singerie motifs. Commodes also often had matching corner cupboards called encoignures (Miller, 2005).
The French also had an abundance of accessories to place on their numerous pieces of
furniture. Madame de Pompadour was a big supporter of Sèvres porcelain used as inserts in furniture and as pottery and figurines often in a rose color. Porcelain and ceramics from China was also very popular though much more expensive than the products made in Europe. Glassware was also popular with the introduction of new mechanized etching, cutting, and polishing methods. Mirrors were often very intricate and helped reflect light from chandeliers into the room. Mirror frames often matched the interiors and furniture and allowed artisans to creatively interpret the Rococo motifs further. Candlelight was the main source of light in chandeliers, candlesticks, and wall sconces. Beeswax candles were used in upper-class homes while animal fat candles were often used in middle and lower-class homes. Treenware, objects and figurines made from wood, were also popular during this time. Clocks were also found in homes of all classes at this point not just the wealthy (Crochet, 2009).
The political setting of the French Rococo style mostly revolved around Louis XIV’s outrageous desire to be glorified as a god. In 1661 he took the place of Jules Cardinal Mazarin, and was overtly involved with not only government, but also social and artistic developments in France—an absolute rule (Ireland, 2009). The term Rococo is directly associated with the French political system of absolute monarchy (Hinchman, 2009). The book, History of Interior Design, described court life as complex and extremely detailed in its dictatorship. In the early 1660s, Louis XIV’s attention to political issues subsided while he sought out redesigning his palace at Versailles (Davis, 1973). After Louis XIV’s death in 1715, Louis the XV would begin his reign in 1723. For a short period of time the country was ruled by a regent, which is when the regency period took place. Following the Regency period, was Rococo. During this time, Political reform was just as sought after by its advocates, as artistic reform (Hinchman, 2009) While Rococo embodied French design in the middle 1700s, England and America were lightly influenced, as they were developing styles of their own (Miller, 2005).
There was a clear abandonment of traditional thinking during the eighteenth century. It was the Age of Enlightenment or what some called the Age of Reason. Society was turning toward science and logic for the answers to life’s big questions rather than God and faith (2012). The church was slowly losing power while human success began to rely on reason rather than religion. Much focus began to be placed on redesigning the old ways of thinking and doing into something they had never been before—the Counter Reformation was born. The book, The Renaissance and Baroque, describes the Counter Reformation as “…a new secular spirit, founded on rationalism and scientific thinking…” (1986) In the late 1500s, Baroque design hit its peak aiding in the Counter Reformation. Baroque influenced followers of the Catholic Church by appealing to their emotions which made the Catholic Church financially stable again. In a way it resembled the influence of Gothic architecture in prior years. As the style that eventually accompanied the Baroque movement, Rococo developed during the political and social time of France that some would call “complicated, emotional and theatrical.” (Davis, 1973)
Naturally, Rococo was scandalous because it was not orderly, nor was it politically correct. It was expensive, over-the-top décor, not to mention, asymmetrical with themes representing all sorts of secularism—love, ordinary life, exoticism and merriment. These themes would never be found in traditional designed ordained by the church (2012). Rococo: a Style of Fantasy describes Rococo society: “...a society which demanded constant novelty, wit and elegance- precisely the qualities of Rococo style.” (Davis, 1973) The style grew because the economy was growing as new marketing strategies were being invented. An interest in art and design was growing as the Louvre Museum made its grand opening. Also more material were being made available that had been scarce up until that point (Hinchman, 2009). The Rococo style spurred on more social change as more craftsmen and designers were needed for the production of Rococo furniture and goods.
Louis XV
http://www.gemselect.com/other-info/graphics/King-Louis-XV.jpg
Louis XIV
http://www.history.com/images/media/slideshow/french-revolution/louis-xiv-king-of-france.jpg
Spatial layouts and Room Divisions
Unlike the baroque style, during French rococo rooms were a lot smaller and more “human like” in scale. Most small rooms were designed for smaller, more intimate gatherings with only a few people in the room. Some large rooms did remain for gatherings of many people. Oval rooms were not uncommon. Rooms were designed to enhance feminine beauty and needed to be comfortable and conventional. It wasn’t uncommon for rooms to have hideaways. For example, in the dining room the table could be lowered discretely, prepared for the next course of the meal and then lifted back up to the dining room. Also, you could find cabinet particuliers which are hidden rooms accessed through secret panels. There was a great emphasis on privacy during this time. There were even secret hideaways in the gardens (Ireland, 2009). In 1722 Louis XV came back to Versailles and wanted more buildings to be created like hotels with small intimate rooms on the grounds of the palace (Crochet, 2009).
Finishes
Popular flooring during this time included wood parquet and marquetry. On outside floors marble squares were used. Carpets covered portions of rooms and were usually from the Middle East.
Windows were usually floor to ceiling and sometimes would go on the ceiling. Windows have interior shutters that match the paneling. After 1720 valances were used (Hardwood, 2012).
Paneling was important and was intricately carved out of wood. Designs were always centered in the middle of the top or bottom of the panel. They were never randomly placed. The sides of panels were straight and the tops and bottoms were curved. Small moldings outlined the panels and were also used on doors, as well as furnishings. Pictures were sometimes placed in these panels. Pictures were either carved ornament or painted. Panels were also covered in textiles or tiles for decoration. Paneling could even portray a real door to make the appearance of the room totally symmetrical. Sometimes fabrics were even used on the walls (Hardwood, 2012)
The most popular wallpaper during the French Rococo was called domino. It was Chinese influenced wallpaper that was hand painted. All the motifs were influenced by oriental designs and it was cheaper than European wallpaper (Ireland, 2009).
Ceilings included coved ceilings with curving corners. Some ceilings were plain and had a plaster rosette located centrally. The most common ceiling treatment is called rocaille (Hardwood, 2012).
Motifs and moldings
Some popular motifs included: pastoral scenes, musical instruments, floral bouquets, garlands, and hunting scenes. Towards the end of the French rococo motifs associated with love were popular, like cupids and hearts (Ireland, 2009).
Shell motifs were popular during the Rococo period but were used as early as the renaissance. It represents love and the god Venus. These shell motifs were used on everything from tables to mirrors to chairs and represented movement. Ormolu mounts were also popular during Rococo. It was made of cast bronze and had a fire-gilt finish. These decorative mounts originally were designed to protect furniture. Many mythological creatures were common in rococo motifs. They were placed on all types of furniture (Miller, 2005).
Furniture and Accessories
Rococo is an Italian word, the French word rocaille, means rockwork. French rococo furniture embodied nature through a variety of motifs including flowers, arabesques, C- and S-shaped scrolls, scallop shells, foliage, singeries, and chinoiserie (Miller, 2005). The overall design was often asymmetrical with a sense of fluidity and lightness through natural motifs and pastel colors (Crochet, 2009). The furniture would create a unified whole with the rest of the interior through repetition of these designs. In contrast to the heavy Baroque styles of Louis XIV, Rococo style furniture was much smaller, lighter, and incorporated more curves. Furniture moved away from the walls and began to be grouped in conversation areas during the Rococo period. Nobility of this era craved comfort in their furniture to make long conversations more pleasant (Miller, 2005). Furniture was no longer moved from room to room and many pieces were made to match "en suite." These pieces were coordinated together based on use, style, color, etc (Hinchman, 2009).
Chairs lost the tall highly detailed Baroque backs and stretchers becoming shorter and leaner with exposed wood frames and cabriole legs. Console tables stayed similar to the Baroque style; however, commodes began to take on a distinct bombe shape (Miller, 2005). Walnut, oak, and elm were the main woods used in furniture construction. Most furniture pieces were decorated with marquetry, carving, and veneer work. These decorations matched the light feminine styles seen in the moldings, boiseries, and other aspects of the interiors (Crochet, 2009).
The French Rococo period under Louis XV's reign saw the introduction of many unique furniture pieces. One of the most important pieces was the fauteuil an open-arm chair with cabriole legs, a curved often cartouche shaped back, manchettes, and pied de biche feet. The curves on this type of chair give it a very elegant and refined look. A bergère was a more informal closed-arm chair with a separate upholstered seat cushion. A canapé was a settée for two people or could be more like a sofa with up to eight legs. Similarly a confidant was a large sofa-like seating unit with bergères attached to each end. Confidants were often placed in niches or pushed against a wall. Many scholars believe that the various furniture pieces played a large role in French society and behavior. For example, as relationships became more intimate people may sit on the confidant, yet still be separated by the bergere end pieces. The voyeuse chair also allowed men and women to get closer to one another. The voyeuse was designed with the upper back serving as a padded armrest. These chairs were often used during performances or card games allowing the women to sit and the men to stand behind leaning on the armrest while watching the activity. One scholar, Hellman, stated that "furniture structured and deliminated the behavior and appearance of individuals according to culturally specific codes of social conduct" (Hinchman, 2009).
The French had countless words to describe the different pieces of Rococo furniture. For example the French nobility could recline on a meridienne, chaise longue, settée, canapé, duchesse, or a duchesse brisée. A duchesse brisée was composed of two or three sections often a bergere, an ottoman, and a smaller bergere that were sometimes attached or that could be placed in different configurations. These pieces allowed the French nobility to be more relaxed in their private rooms. The Rococo period also had many case pieces. The bureau plat is a type of table desk often with one drawer. It often has ormolu mounts and sabots. A bureau à cylinder, a writing desk with a roll-top front, was a very complex piece to make in this time period. Console tables were attached to walls and often had a mirror hanging above to make the table appear to be full-size. Bombe shaped commodes were the most common storage pieces. The tops were often used to showcase objects with three to four drawers for storage underneath (Hinchman, 2009). The word commode comes from the French word, commodité, meaning greater convenience. The line separating the drawers was ignored and the entire front facade was designed as one cohesive piece often with chinosiere or singerie motifs. Commodes also often had matching corner cupboards called encoignures (Miller, 2005).
The French also had an abundance of accessories to place on their numerous pieces of
furniture. Madame de Pompadour was a big supporter of Sèvres porcelain used as inserts in furniture and as pottery and figurines often in a rose color. Porcelain and ceramics from China was also very popular though much more expensive than the products made in Europe. Glassware was also popular with the introduction of new mechanized etching, cutting, and polishing methods. Mirrors were often very intricate and helped reflect light from chandeliers into the room. Mirror frames often matched the interiors and furniture and allowed artisans to creatively interpret the Rococo motifs further. Candlelight was the main source of light in chandeliers, candlesticks, and wall sconces. Beeswax candles were used in upper-class homes while animal fat candles were often used in middle and lower-class homes. Treenware, objects and figurines made from wood, were also popular during this time. Clocks were also found in homes of all classes at this point not just the wealthy (Crochet, 2009).